Following the devastating effects of the March earthquake and Tsunami in eastern Japan, Toyota will introduce a 1.5kW power supply option for the Japanese version of the Toyota Prius.
The decision to introduce the generator followed feedback from Toyota Estima hybrid car owners, a minivan produced exclusively for the Japanese market, who used the vehicle’s existing onboard power supply system to charge mobile phones and maintain communication during periods of extended blackouts.
It is expected that Toyota will donate and retrofit the power supply system to about 40 Prius hybrids owned by the Tohoku Prefecture. It will have the ability to provide power to a Japanese household for around two days with a full tank of fuel.
The generator will be introduced within around six months and is expected to be offered in other Toyota hybrid cars in the near future. The move follows on from Toyota announcing an advanced household energy management system that integrated Prius Plug-in Hybrids with smart grid capable homes produced by the Toyota Housing Corporation.
